THE FACT THAT Johnny Sexton has already been booked in as a guest speaker over in Jersey two nights before the URC final on 27 May suggests that the hopes of him returning before the end of the campaign are very slim.
That URC decider is the last game of the club season, coming a week after the Heineken Cup final, and it looks unlikely that Sexton will feature if Leinster make those big games.
Yesterday brought the news that Leinster fans had feared. The province officially confirmed that the 37-year-old captain is likely to miss the rest of this season. He’s set for surgery today and now faces into a period of recovery and rehabilitation.
The reality is that we’ve probably seen the last of Sexton in a Leinster jersey. No one watching him play against Connacht on New Year’s Day – when he suffered a facial injury while making a high tackle – would have thought it was the last time they’d see the great out-half in the blue jersey.
But it looks like Sexton will finish up with 189 Leinster caps to his name. Of course, there is the outside possibility that he will recover far faster than currently expected. But there will be no rushing his return given that leading Ireland into the World Cup in September is the obvious priority.
And there is also the possibility that Sexton changes his mind and decides to play on beyond the end of this year. He plans to hang up his boots and go into the business world but who knows?
That’s total speculation, though. For now, the outlook is that we have seen the last of Sexton playing for Leinster and he won’t get the chance to finish on a high with his beloved province.
Admitting that “the odds are stacked against him” with regards to a possible return for Sexton this season, Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde shared their disappointment for the former World Rugby player of the year, but highlighted that Sexton knows how cruel sport can be.
“He has been in rugby for long enough, he knows you’ve got to sometimes take the rough with the smooth so it’s just a case of getting better as quickly as possible really with the World Cup looming,” said McBryde.
“Hopefully, things will go to plan and he’ll be fit and up and running for that.”
McBryde is in no doubt that missing the rest of this season will have minimal effect on Sexton’s ability to be at his peak for the World Cup.
With a pre-season to come over the summer and Ireland playing warm-up games against Italy, England, and Samoa, McBryde believes Sexton may even be physically better for this enforced period on the sidelines.
“In many ways, it could benefit Johnny that he’s fresh, fit, and ready to go,” said McBryde.
“Someone of his experience doesn’t need game time, I think he’ll get that in training.
“He’s the utmost professional in terms of looking after his own game with the amount of kicking he does, his attention to detail, and I’m sure he’ll get enough reps and he’ll be back before you know it.”
Losing Sexton is undoubtedly a big blow for Leinster. He’s their skipper and his most recent performances for Ireland underlined that he’s still one of the best out-halves in the game.
But the province have huge faith in their depth. Ross Byrne, who is Sexton’s understudy with Ireland too, is set to start against Ulster in this weekend’s Champions Cup round of 16 clash at the Aviva Stadium, while his younger brother, Harry, has been in the number 10 shirt in recent weeks.
McBryde name-checked academy out-half Sam Prendergast as another option at out-half, while the versatile Ciarán Frawley and academy playmaker Charlie Tector are also part of the set-up.
“Ross and Harry have been performing well given the Six Nations,” said McBryde.
“You’ve got Sam, who has been with the U20s as well. There’s depth there and it’s great to see these boys being given an opportunity and taking it.
“From a forward point of view, I thought the game on Friday night [against the Stormers] was great. The step up in learning from someone like Mikey Milne and John McKee, I just thought it was brilliant.
“It would have been nice to win but I suppose you can’t have everything. You like to see all the players who have been behind the scenes, providing opposition all season, being given the opportunity and being in a position to take it.
“It will be no different with whoever wears the 10 shirt. We have the utmost confidence in all of them and the way they’ve performed.”
McBryde wasn’t able to provide any clarity on the status of Caelan Doris, Garry Ringrose, and Hugo Keenan ahead of the weekend, with all three Ireland internationals having been in the graduated return-to-play protocols following recent head injuries.
